2pt3 Midnight Raiders
by Lamby
Summary: Logan and Blaze are helping Gambit get back to full fitness after a life threatening injury. Meanwhile Angel has some unwelcome nighttime visitors, but did he really dream the whole thing?
1. Chapter 1

#Logan and Blaze are helping Gambit get back to full fitness after a life-threatening injury. Meanwhile Angel has some unwelcome nighttime visitors#

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, nada, zip. Blaze owns me

**A/N: **Number nine in my Evo fics, though there is no need to read any of the others before you read this one. The only things you need to know is that Gambit has switched sides, and he has just recovered from a nasty injury received on a recent mission.

**Scene 01**

The smell of glorious cooking wafted through the hallways of the Xavier institute. Early morning sunlight streamed through the windows, creating Jacob's ladders on which dust motes danced and whirled. A stream of laughter was the younger X-Men leaving for school. Gambit paused, backed up against the wall out of harm's way, as Kitty, Kurt and Magma led the charge. The rest of the youngsters filed after them, barely even noticing the Cajun. Rogue gave him a sideways glance and half a smile as she brought up the rear of the group.

"Bye Remy, see ya after school," she told him.

"Have a bien day, Cherie," he offered with a wave. Only when they had all gone did Gambit decide it was safe to carry on towards the source of that wonderful smell. He carried himself with the wary dignity of someone who had recently borne a serious injury. His side, lacerated deeply by a mutant named Behemoth, still hurt if he overdid it, though his stitches had come out and the bruising diminished. He made it to the kitchen without any further drama, and peered round the door to see the room's two occupants busy cooking.

"Two eggs or three, Logan?" a dainty redheaded girl asked in a British accent. She looked over her shoulder at Wolverine from the refrigerator, tossing back long ringlet curls. She had big, doe-like brown eyes and a rosebud pout, with a dusting of freckles over a button nose. She was very attractive, with a air of little-girl-lost about her and a liking for the wilder side of life. This was the pyrokenetic called Blaze.

"Make it three," Logan grunted from where he was flipping rashers of bacon in a frying pan dripping with oil. There was a sizzle of sausages, and the burble of baked beans simmering nicely. A stack of buttered slices of bread sat by the hob, whilst several halves of juicy red tomatoes waited to be fried along with everything else. Blaze took six eggs from the refrigerator and shut the door with a flick of her hip. It was then she caught sight of the Cajun X-Man loitering in the door. Her face lit up, making Gambit grin with his own importance as he greeted her, "Bon matin Blaze."

"Salut Remy," Blaze responded in kind. "Ca va?"

"Starved," Remy answered. "What's for breakfast?"

"Have a seat," Wolverine instructed, as Blaze went and took over the frying pan, cracking the eggs into the fat and making them sizzle. Gambit closed his eyes and took a deep breath in through his nose. The food smelt even better now he knew what was cooking. When he opened his eyes, his breakfast was in front of him. One giant bowl of dreary grey porridge, complete with lumps in it. Gambit's good mood evaporated, "What's dis? Why ain't I havin' what you are?"

"Because my patented full English breakfast is so bad for you, you can feel your arteries coating in cholesterol with every mouthful," Blaze replied cheerily. "You're only just out of the infirmary, I'm not going to be responsible for putting you back there just yet. Porridge is a healthy source of slow release energy, just like you're going to need today."

"Why?" Gambit asked suspiciously. "An' since when are you a nutritionist Cherie?"

"Since the Firefly an' I got put in charge of getting you back to full fitness, Gumbo," Logan argued as Blaze dished out the fry up onto two warm plates. "I got news for you, training starts right after breakfast, so eat up."

Gambit steeled himself and picked up his spoon. He winced as the porridge squelched disgustingly as he tried to dig out a mouthful. Immediately as he put the gloopy mess in his mouth and endeavoured to swallow the vile substance, he knew today was not going to be his day…

Roll titles………………………..


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, nada, zip. Blaze owns me

**Scene 02**

The training Wolverine and Blaze had planned for Gambit was organised to build up over a succession of weeks. They started on the first day with a 'light' jog around the grounds. Through the trees and over the grass they ran, feet thudding in perfect rhythm, arms pumping by their sides. The three of them all wore grey and white training gear, and Blaze had her long hair tied back in a ponytail. She and Logan flanked Gambit so he had to keep up with them, even when sweat dripped from him and his body ached from exertion. Finally he had to stop, holding his hands up in submission. Blaze and Logan didn't even look back in sympathy. They carried on their run to the end of the circuit, with Gambit trailing after them at a limp walk.

Another day in the gym, Logan got Gambit racing Blaze on the rowing machines. Forward and back, the repetition of movement extended and contracted their arm and leg muscles. Gambit grimaced, sweat getting into his eyes despite the sweatband he'd tied around his brow after the disaster of the jog. Blaze was trouncing him and Logan standing over them both calling out "Stroke," whenever he wanted them to pull backwards wasn't helping. Gambit glanced over at Blaze's console, trying to work out how far ahead of him she was. The action unbalanced him and he fell crashing out of his seat, losing the handle as it pinged back to the machine. Blaze burst out laughing, whilst Logan chuckled, "Trust you to capsize the damn thing, Gumbo…"

Down in the Danger Room, Logan stood with a stopwatch at the end of a set of monkey bars. Gambit and Blaze were at the start line, ready to jump up and swing their way across the room. Gambit rubbed his hands against his trouser legs, drying his palms. He'd beat her this time just to prove he wasn't a complete imbecile. Logan raised and dropped his arm to signal the start of the clock. Before Gambit had even registered it Blaze had leapt the distance, which was considerably more for the pint-sized girl than it was for the Cajun, and was attacking the bars. Swinging her body backwards and forwards, she built her momentum to make the transfer from bar to bar as easy as pie.

Gambit grimaced and made a leap of faith. He was just over halfway across when Blaze reached Logan. She turned upside down, looped her knees over the last bar and hung by her legs as she took the stopwatch off him. She pursed her lips, nodding at her own time, then looked back up to watch Gambit make his final surge for the finish. He had to ask her how he had done. "Well, at least you finished this time," Blaze offered encouragingly, dropping the stopwatch back to Logan, who pocketed it without sharing the time with Gambit.

Out in the grounds, the three X-Men had changed into ju-jitsu gee, the white kit of martial arts practitioners. Logan led them through a sequence of moves, called a kata. Fists punched the air and kicks surged against an unseen enemy, as all three concentrated absolutely on the synergy of body and mind. Controlling his breathing, Gambit found his muscles start to respond better to what he asked them to do. He didn't ache so much, and he even started to hope that his old strength might be returning. Time to up the stakes a little, and take matters into his own hands.

He completed the circuit of the grounds and rowed practically half way around the world, both before Logan or Blaze had even gotten up one morning. Then he went to the pool, dived in and had swum four lengths before Blaze tracked him down. With no intention of swimming herself, Blaze sat on a sun-lounger in her pink bikini and sunglasses, watching the Cajun fling himself up and down the pool. He coaxed her into timing him and over the next few days they set him targets that quickly came tumbling down. Blaze was always there, sometimes perched on the edge of the pool with her feet in the water, but never getting in herself.

"How fast!" Gambit gasped, thrusting his head out of the water and grabbing the pool surround to either side of Blaze.

"One thirty-two," Blaze replied with a grin. "Well done Rem, that's the first time you've got under one thirty-five."

"Formidable!" Gambit exclaimed, picking Blaze up by the waist and dragging her into the cool water. The fire elemental screamed as half the pool suddenly evaporated. Petrified she clutched the Cajun round the neck, but all Gambit could do was laugh at her. He spun her round in the water once, before she kicked him in the thigh and made him let go of her.

"Okay, I'm callin' an end to the swimming, it makes you too excitable," Logan growled from the side of the pool. He reached over to offer Blaze a hand out, which she gratefully accepted. She climbed from the pool with water streaming from her skin. Blaze turned and offered a hand to Gambit. He lunged to take it, but she withdrew it at the last second and sent him plunging back under the water with a splash. Logan laughed as Blaze stormed off to get changed, telling Gambit, "Serves you right, you know she hates the water."

""She'll get over it," Gambit shrugged, climbing out by himself. "What's next?"

"Combat training," Logan decided. "Get your uniform on and head down to the Danger Room, pronto."

The combat training Logan had in mind started with Gambit taking on machines and projections of enemies. He had Remy take on Toad, then Blob, then Avalanche and Quicksilver. Blaze drew the line at letting them use a replica of Wanda, with whom she and Boom Boom was becoming quite good friends. Gambit had no such qualms taking on his old Acolyte colleagues Pyro and Sabretooth. It didn't help him win; each Acolyte took him a few turns to finally defeat. His sense of triumph when he did win was absolute though. Wolverine was impressed with Gambit's progress, despite the fact that he hadn't turned the difficulty on the techno-enemies up to maximum.

"Get down there Blaze," Logan told his teammate, who was stood besides him in the control room over the Danger Room itself. Blaze nodded, asking, "Do you want me to hold back or not?"

"I'd rather not be scraping barbequed Gumbo off the walls, if that's what you mean. No fireworks, okay? Other than that, you go for it," He turned to the microphone that let him speak to Gambit down on the floor. "Blaze is coming down. One on one battle, no powers, you got that?"

"Sure t'ing," Gambit agreed, turning to face the door where Blaze would appear any second. He whirled his staff weapon between his fingers deftly, flicking his trench coat back behind him as he did so. The door opened to reveal Blaze looking deadly serious, staring levelly at her friend. Gambit raised a hand to beckon her forwards, saying, "Bring it on, Cherie…"


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, nada, zip. Blaze owns me

**Scene 03**

It might have looked a badly matched battle, the tall and wiry Cajun against the dainty English girl. Yet Blaze was tenacious and athletic, and Logan was sure that even without powers Blaze would give Gambit a run for his money. Logan watched them square up against each other, circling slowly, as Blaze sized up the freedom with which Gambit moved with his injury. Wolverine saw what Blaze did. The Cajun was moving fluidly and with little of the caution he had had when he first started training with them. Gambit might not know it himself yet, but he was almost back to health.

The first few punches that flew in were only testing the other's defences. All of them were blocked before they could hit home. Slowly, the speed of the battle began to accelerate, Blaze dancing left and right as she tried to push Gambit into making a mistake. The Cajun concentrated, ducking and diving, using his longer reach to land a quick succession of punches to Blaze's midriff. Blaze dropped, lashing out with her leg as she spun round, trying to take Gambit's legs out from under him. Gambit leapt over her sweeping legs, turning and kicking her in the back. Blaze splayed forwards, reaching out with her hands to break her fall.

"That'll do!" Logan called out from the control room. "Point proven Gumbo, that's all for today."

"You okay Cherie?" Gambit asked, offering Blaze a hand up. She rolled onto her back, spluttered a little before she could get her breath back.

"Yeah," Blaze gasped in the end, taking his hand and letting him left her back to her feet. Once stood up she smiled brightly, stepping forward eagerly to give Remy an affectionate hug. "Well done, I think you've even stunned Logan," she whispered in his ear, her breath warm against his neck. Gambit folded his arms around his friend tightly, breathing in the ash-and-embers smell of her hair. She was right; he was feeling better. Everything was coming good.

"Break it up," Logan grouched from the control room. Blaze backed out of Gambit's arms, though less than willingly. Wolverine spoke again before Gambit could question the girl on her hesitancy, "The Professor just called. We're wanted in a briefing, now."

"Be right there," called Blaze, starting for the door. Gambit took a breath and grabbed her trailing arm. There was something that had been hanging over them for far too long now. Like a dark cloud, it was never spoken of but always there. He pulled her back to face him, knowing that today was a day for new beginnings.

"One t'ing first," he told her gently. "There somet'ing we should've done a long time ago, Chere."

Blaze looked up at her tall friend and found herself speechless. He took hold of her other hand, locking his fingers with hers. Her heart did a little leap and her mouth went suddenly dry as he started to lower his face to hers. This was it. Finally, once and for all they were going to take back something that had been stolen from them. Blaze's eye flickered closed as she raised her lips to his. Gambit looked at her for only a second longer, then closed his eyes…

"What part of 'now' don't you two understand?" Logan growled over the speakers. "Get up here, that's an order."

Blaze sighed and pulled away sadly from Remy. Gambit let his shoulders slump, trying to think of something to say to the girl. There was nothing that sprang to mind. She left the room without waiting for him, letting him trail afterwards like a lost puppy. It had been like this between them for far too long, unrequited and inexpressible. Ever since a touch by Rogue had stolen something that was undeniably Blaze's.

Perhaps it would not have been so bad if a child named Stifle had not been there to quash Rogue's power, and so allow her to touch Remy without draining him. On the spur of the moment, possessed by Blaze's spontaneity, Rogue had kissed him. But the kiss had been Blaze's and not Rogue's at all to give. Now that absent first kiss was like a wall between the two thieves. No matter what they did or how good friends they became, Blaze and Gambit couldn't break the chains that Rogue's chance actions had left them with. Would they ever get past this? Or would it always hang around their necks like a lead weight, dragging them down. Gambit didn't know, and he doubted Blaze did either.

Gambit traipsed dejectedly back up to the upper levels of the mansion, following Logan and Blaze who were just in front of him. The briefing was taking place in the Professor's office. On entering the room Wolverine peeled off to the left to stand by Storm in the back of the room. Beast stood to the right, by the Professor's wheelchair. Blaze crossed the room to take a position by the fireplace. Gambit entered last, closing the door behind him and staying near the exit. On a comfy-looking ornate chaise longue in the middle of the room, a grey-looking Angel looked up as the last X-Man arrived. His eyes fell on the former Acolyte, and a protest formed on his lips.

"What is he doing here?" Angel glowered in Gambit's direction. "He's one of Magneto's men."

"He was," the Professor explained calmly. "Gambit is an X-Man now." Remy puffed out his chest proudly to have Xavier stake his claim to the Cajun.

"A leopard can't change its spots," argued Angel. "That two-bit thief robbed me."

"I was under mind-control," protested Gambit, scowling.

"I don't care," Angel continued, shaking his head. "I don't trust him, and I don't want the help of any thief."

"You're walking on thin ice Angel," Blaze warned, taking a few steps forward and coming to sit gracefully by Warren's side. She looked Angel in the eye with her big liquid brown orbs pleading with him from under a fringe of long lashes. "Gambit's not the only one here who has roots as a thief. We all trust him, you can too."

"You?" Angel asked her. "You were a thief too?" Blaze nodded, lowering her eyes coyly. Angel didn't look like he quite believed her. Gambit folded his arms and leant back against the wall. Nice as it was that Blaze was fighting his corner, he wished that she hadn't done it by flirting with Warren. It would give Angel ideas he'd better not try. Storm spoke for the first time, drawing a close to the argument against Remy's presence.

"The X-Men always try to pursue the philosophy that people can change, Angel. Gambit is one of us now. If you want our help, you would do better to get on with telling us the problem."

"Alright Storm," Angel agreed reluctantly, looking up at Ororo. "It all happened last night…"


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, nada, zip. Blaze owns me

**Scene 04**

To make it easier for the winged mutant to tell his story, Xavier used his telepathy to help. He reached after the thread of the tale in Warren's mind and drew it out like a long silver strand of spider's web, glistening with beads of dew. Manipulating the thread, Xavier included each member of his team in the connection, so that as Angel spoke they could see events happening in their mind's eye.

"It was late when I went to bed," Angel said. Sure enough bright moonlight from a full moon seared through the glass of Warren's bedroom window. In the images a shirtless Angel yawned, stretching his wings lethargically. He went to the window and closed the floor-to-ceiling drapes. Darkness descended, but Angel could find his way to his bed blindfolded. Three strides barefoot across a thick rug and he was by the edge of the voluptuous mattress. He peeled back the satiny covers and slipped between the sheets.

"I was tired, I fell asleep straight away as soon as my head hit the pillow," Warren hesitated, before forcing himself to continue. "I don't know how much time passed before…"

"Before what Angel?" Storm asked when Warren was not forthcoming.

"A light woke me up, a bright light," Warren blurted out with a shudder.

"That's called mornin' Bub," Logan pointed out pedantically. Gambit sniggered, taking a pack of cards from his pocket and shuffling them distractingly. Warren glanced at them both before continuing.

"No, it wasn't dawn. Besides the curtains were shut. The light that woke me was in the room. It was greenish, swirling and nauseating," said Angel. The Professor implanted the image from Warren's mind in the minds of the others. The light was opalescent and emerald, with no obvious direction of origin. It diffused through Warren's bedroom like a bad smell.

"As I came round, I realised there was someone standing over me. There were two of them, I don't know what they were doing." In the mental projection two shadowy figures emerged. The green light was behind them so they appeared as silhouettes. They leaned menacingly over Angel as he lay in bed. "I was paralysed," Angel continued, "I couldn't move or cry out. I felt them prod and poke me, and I couldn't do anything about it. Then, after a while, they went away again. The light died and I knew I was on my own. Slowly the paralysis wore off, but I didn't sleep for the rest of the night. This morning there are no signs of someone breaking in, but I know it was real. I want to know what they were doing to me, and if they will come back…"

#What do you think?# Xavier asked telepathically of his X-Men, so they could comment honestly without Warren taking offence.

#If wing-boy starts blaming little green men,# Logan growled, #I'm outta here.#

#Mon Ami is seriously losin' it, n'est-ce pas ?# laughed Gambit, barely able to keep a straight face.

#You're both horrid,# Blaze chastised them. #He's terrified, and I don't think you'd be much better if it happened to you.#

#It could be a case of sleep paralysis,# Beast conjectured. #It is a psychological state blamed for common night time hallucinations including visits by the so-called 'Night Hag', or indeed alien abductions.#

#I agree with Blaze,# Storm chipped in. #It doesn't matter what actually happened. We should do what we can to make him unafraid.#

#Very well,# agreed Xavier. "Don't concern yourself, Warren," he continued aloud. "We will look into this for you. I will go to Cerebro and see if I can detect any residual traces of malicious thought at your home. If you would allow it, I would also like Blaze to take a professional look at your security systems."

The redhead looked a little shocked as Angel agreed to Xavier's suggestion. Blaze's relationship with the Professor had been strained since the untimely disappearance and presumed death of Xavier's grown-up daughter Ilehana. It was the telepathic animorph Vixen who had recruited Blaze for the X-Men. Secretly Blaze suspected that the Professor even blamed her a little for Ilehana's demise. Even more secretly, Blaze knew that Ilehana was actually alive and well, living as one of a wolf pack. On this she was sworn to silence by her old friend, and could not tell a soul.

The meeting was adjourned, and Xavier departed to Cerebro as promised. He did not expect to find anything, but if it would put Warren's mind at rest he would look. Blaze happily left the mansion at Warren's side, climbing into the passenger seat of his black hardtop sports car in front of the mansion. Gambit followed at a discreet distance, trying to look nonchalant and not jealous as he reached the front door just as Angel's flash car pulled away. At the same time, the kids arrived home from school. They pushed past Gambit in a race to be the first to the refrigerator.

"Hey Gambit," Kitty teased. "You wanna be careful, if the wind changes your face will totally stick like that."

"T'anks for the advice Shadowcat," Gambit scowled harder, folding his arms. Kitty shrugged and flounced off inside.

"Penny for 'em?" Rogue asked as she brought up the rear of the herd. "Your thoughts Ah mean." For a second Gambit just blinked at her. Then he smiled and dropped his hands to his sides.

"Ain't been a t'ought in this skull for years, Cherie," Gambit dodged the bullet. He turned to escort the Southern belle back into the mansion, asking, "So how was school?"

"Oh you know," Rogue shrugged apathetically. "They kept tryin' to make us think."


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, nada, zip. Blaze owns me

**Scene 05**

"That brings us back to the hallway, where I've got infrared sensors, pressure sensors in the floor, and alarms on the windows and doors," concluded Warren. Blaze nodded thoughtfully, sucking on a red lollipop as she gazed round the room. Warren watched her for a moment, before probing, "So what do you think?"

"To be honest," Blaze offered, waving the lollipop in the air to illustrate her point. "You'd be better off not bothering with all of this and just getting a big, grouchy guard dog." Warren's face fell; he'd spent a lot of money after Gambit's break-in upgrading security. Blaze saw his reaction and flashed a stunning smile. "Don't worry Angel, I'll get this tuned up and watertight, I promise. I'm a professional remember." She promptly put the lollipop back in her mouth and leapt lithely onto a priceless Renaissance cabinet so she could reach the sensors on the wall. Warren shook his head in bewilderment and left her to it.

#Blaze?# enquired the Professor from Cerebro.

#I've told him that the security system is poor, but that I can fix it. Hopefully he'll sleep better tonight knowing that. To be honest though, the system's pretty good to begin with. Please tell me we are still working along the lines of he dreamt the whole thing, because if not we're dealing with some serious skill to get into his bedroom and out again without triggering an alarm.#

#I'm not sure,# the Professor answered pensively. #There is a sense of something lingering in Angel's bedroom, but whether it is a sign that someone was there I don't know. It could just be a fragmented projection of Angel's nightmare.#

#What do you want me to do?# Blaze asked with a gulp. This was not sounding too good to the English girl.

#You seem to be earning Angel's trust. Perhaps you can convince him to let you stay the night. That way you can be on hand should anything happen again. I think even if someone were breaking in, they would think twice about the sensibility of their actions when faced with the Guardian of Fire.#

#Thank you for your faith in me, Professor,# Blaze blushed with sincerity. #I know we have had some issues, especially since Ilehana…#

#I believe that you and I need to get to know one another better, Blaze. For now though, I will have Storm pack you some things and bring them over to you.#

#You're a star Professor,# Blaze smiled. #I won't let you down.# She had the sense of the Professor returning the smile a little sheepishly, and then he was gone.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"All done," announced Blaze, walking into Angel's immaculate kitchen with its black marble-topped work surfaces and suspended chandelier. "Wow, this is impressive."

"Only because I never use it," Angel admitted, tossing Blaze a can of soda to match his own. "Why bother when there is a perfectly good Chinese place down the road? Thanks for taking a look at my security Blaze. Can I repay you with a take-out? They do a mean chicken chow mien."

"You bet," Blaze very much approved, opening the can of soda that hissed delightfully. Coyly she glanced back at Angel, suggesting, "How about we get something stronger in to drink, and make a night of it? I've no plans, and it can't be fun rattling round this place on your own, no matter how amazing it is."

"Last I heard, you lived in a pretty fantastic mansion yourself Blaze," Angel noticed with a smile.

"Uh-huh," Blaze accepted the truth. "No school kids here though. It's a proper grown-up house."

"This wouldn't have anything to do with the bag that Storm dropped off ten minutes ago, would it?" Warren enquired genteelly.

"Maybe," Blaze admitted. "I just thought that after last night, you might sleep a little better tonight knowing there was someone just down the hall."

"I…" Warren looked away, not able to meet Blaze's eyes and admit what a coward he was. "Yes, I'd like that Blaze. Thank you."

"Don't worry yourself about it," Blaze came across the room to touch Angel's elbow lightly. "It's going to be fine, I promise." Angel looked down at her, a deep frown criss-crossing his brow. He only said three words to her, "I hope so."


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, nada, zip. Blaze owns me

**Scene 06**

Much later, as the full moon rose again over Bayville to bathe the town in a silver mist, Blaze said goodnight to Angel at the top of the stairs. She waited, bathed in starlight from a skylight and watched as the winged mutant stumbled apprehensively to his own room. The door shut with a click and Angel was gone. Well, Blaze thought, I've done all I'm prepared to do. I just hope it's enough for him to get a decent night's sleep.

Silence was a soft blanket over the house as Blaze left the en suite bathroom that adjoined the guest bedroom. She had brushed her teeth and changed for bed. She wore a grey satin camisole top with ribbon thin straps, and shorts to match. Her bare feet sunk into the lush carpet as she crossed the room to the window. Other than the moon and stars in the clear, crisp sky above, the only light came from a little orange lamp by the side of the bed.

Knowing that the security system was armed, Blaze slipped her fingers under the window ledge until she found the wire connecting the sensor to the alarm circuit. A sharp tug disconnected it, meaning that Blaze could caress the wooden sash window frame. With a heave she flung the windowpane upwards, opening the room up to the night. The smell of wet grass and of the thick climber growing up the wall below her wafted in to accost her delicate nose. Blaze breathed deeply, enjoying the fragrances as the curtains wafted gracefully around her in the soft breeze.

Her need for air placated, Blaze let tiredness overwhelm her. The big double bed beckoned her over like a long lost friend. Blaze left the window with the curtains still open, crossed the room again and slipped in between the smooth, cool cotton sheets. The pillowcase was crisp and smelt of detergent as she laid down her head. A manicured hand reached out and turned off the bedside light. Moments later, Blaze was asleep.

She awoke sharply in the darkest part of the night, just before the dawn. The moon had dropped to the horizon, swollen and oozing like a yellow pustule. There was someone in the room. Even without seeing the person, she knew it was true. Every instinct she had was screaming at her, and the thief trusted her instincts. Blaze forced her sleepy muscles to work, pushing herself into a sitting position. She blanked to focus her eyes in the darkness, looking right at the open window that was to the foot of the bed. Blaze's heart stopped for a beat as she saw someone sat on the ledge, one leg inside and one leg outside the room.

"What are you doing here?" she asked in a voice serrated with sleep. Blaze emphasised the 'you' as she recognised her lanky visitor.

"You missed a spot," commented Gambit, pulling his trailing leg into the room and turning to face Blaze. He waved a hand to indicate the open window.

"I disabled the sensor so I could leave the window open," Blaze explained exasperatedly. "I did not miss a spot. Why are you here Rem? It's four am for crying out loud."

"I wanted to talk to you Cherie," Gambit explained in a hiss of a whisper.

"Ugh!" Blaze exclaimed, diving back under the covers and pulling them up over her head. "Talk to me in the morning, I'm trying to sleep!"

Silence fell. Under the sheets Blaze held her breath to see if she could hear Gambit leaving. She didn't know if she wanted him to go or not. Biting her lip, she strove to resist the childish temptation to take a peek to see of he had gone. Suddenly the mattress depressed just behind Blaze's curled up form, as if a Cajun had just perched himself in protest on her bed. Irritated Blaze thrust back the covers and sat upright once again. Hair like a wild halo about her, she pinned Remy with a shrivelling gaze. "You just don't give up do you?"

Gambit thought for a moment, the corner of his mouth kinking upwards in a sly lopsided smile. He reached out a hand to Blaze's left arm, where her strap from her top had slid from her slender shoulder. With two fingers he smoothed the strap gently back to lie where it should on her collarbone. As he did so, he said, "Do you want me to give up?"

Dropping her eyes from Gambit's face, Blaze looked sheepish and did not answer. Of course she didn't want him to give up. What hot-bloodied female didn't want to be chased after by the Cajun? Gambit transferred his touch to tangle in a strand of her hair. He thought he had her right where he wanted. His smile got broader and a wicked twinkle came into his unique red-on-black eyes. But before he could say anything else, something unexpected happened.

"Did you hear that?" Blaze demanded, pulling away from Gambit and looking towards the door.

"Hear what?" Gambit lied, trying to maintain his position as the centre of her attention.

"That," Blaze was getting out of bed already and walking cautiously to the door. The handle turned easily in her grasp as Gambit joined her. In pitch-blackness they crept down the corridor in pursuit on the noise. It led them straight to Angel's bedroom door, and sure enough a strange diffuse green light was shining underneath the door. Blaze glanced over her shoulder to see Gambit nod in the ethereal glow. In his hand was a card ready to be charged. Blaze reached out and turned this door handle too, until the catch clicked softly. She opened the door just wide enough so that they could see what was happening inside.

Just because they could see it didn't mean they could quite believe it. Angel lay in bed on his back with his wings spread-eagled either side and his covers tangled about his legs. The green light seemed to pulse around him, emanating from a great glowing circle that hovered three inches above the floor. The disc was large enough for an adult to step through comfortably, which was just what two people had apparently done.

A young woman with lashings of white hair and a kitsch outfit of bottle green shirt-dress and knee high brown lace-up boots stood over Angel. In her hand was a syringe and needle, which she injected into Warren's bare arm. On the other side of the bed, a tall man in a long loose fitting grey jacket with flared sleeves and shoulder length curly hair leaned over Angel. With a pair of tweezers he plucked a single blond hair from Warren's head. Warren didn't move or in anyway react. This time, whatever he had been injected with appeared to be working perfectly.

The man put the hair into a small plastic vial that was not even as big as Blaze's little finger. This he slotted into an adaptor on a PDA, which whirled into life. Coloured diagrams and graphs flashed across the device's screen, eventually turning a decisive shade of red. The man looked at the woman and shook his head. "The transformation's not complete Vertigo, he's not ready yet."

"Give him another dose," the woman called Vertigo suggested with a shrug. "We can't keep coming back like this, we're getting behind schedule." The man nodded, taking another syringe and needle from inside his coat. This time it was injected into Angel's neck, but he was still paralysed. "All done," the man confirmed, putting his equipment away in various pockets.

"Lets get out of here Ruckus," Vertigo told her partner. As the man made his way into the portal and disappeared, Vertigo drew her lavender eyes over Angel once more. "I'll see you again tomorrow night, handsome," she told the paralysed man. Then she turned and stepped through the portal. The circle of green light bloomed stronger for a moment, and then was gone.

Ashen faced and horrified, Blaze and Gambit glanced at each other helplessly. One thing was sure; this was not good.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, nada, zip. Blaze owns me

**Scene 07**

"I don't believe this," Angel protested the following morning at an emergency X-Men meeting. Once again the youngsters had departed for school, so only the adults were present. This time, whatever sedative Vertigo had injected Angel with had utterly rendered him unconscious, and he remembered nothing of what Blaze had reported seeing. Gambit was saying nothing of his own experience, as he was not supposed to have been there in the first place.

"What do you think they were doing to me? What do they mean by transformation?" Warren demanded to know, voice sick with worry.

"Angel please calm down," Xavier insisted. "We will take a look at you and see if we can't work it out."

"You can sleep at the Institute tonight, they won't find you here," reassured Storm.

"I doubt I'll sleep at all," replied Angel with a coarse humourless laugh.

"There's one was we can find out what's goin' on," pointed out Logan. "We bring in Ruckus and Vertigo, see what they have to say for themselves."

"I agree," admitted the Professor. Blaze pressed her lips together, and then raised her hand to get everyone's attention.

"If you're going to go down that route," suggested the redhead. "Why not go the whole way? We could programme a couple of image inducers and take their places. We'd find out more going through the portal than we would in a week of interrogating a couple of lackeys."

"What you're suggesting is inordinately dangerous," cautioned Hank. "We have no clue what is on the other side of that portal, or what is controlling it. You could theoretically be transported to anywhere on Earth, or even beyond."

"So I'll wear a tracker, and take a satellite phone," Blaze shrugged off the concerns. "It won't be the first time I've not known where I was first thing in the morning. If I need help, I'll lay low and call the Institute."

"They may have a telepath, or someone else who will see past the inducer. Worse, the portal itself may shut down the technology. You could be stranded without a disguise," Beast insisted on pointing out more pitfalls.

"I can defend myself Beast," Blaze insisted. "I really think its worth the risks, and I know that if nothing goes wrong I can pull it off. With a little bit of luck, I'll be able to use the portal to hop back to Warren's with no one any the wiser."

"Besides, she ain't goin' alone," Gambit piped up. "There two lackeys, so two X-Men gotta take their places. I'm goin' too."

"If the two of you feel you have assessed all the risks," Xavier conceded. "I will allow this. Remember though the moment either of you gets into difficulties, you must call for reinforcements. You are not lone thieves any longer. You are both part of a team."

Blaze and Gambit nodded sombrely to the Professor, before turning and leaving the room to prepare for the mission. Angel spoke up just before the two thieves vanished to wish them, "Good luck." The door closed behind the pair, and they risked a sideways glance at each other. Nerves and adrenaline combined to give them both giddy grins. Finally some action they could get their teeth into. This was going to be fun.

By sunset Blaze and Gambit were in their uniforms and ready with various equipment to shift their base of operations to Angel's house. They made their way to the Institute's front door, only to find Logan blocking their exit. Wolverine was also clad in his black and orange uniform, mask pulled over his face and his arms folded broodingly across his chest. Gambit met Logan's scowl and matched it, saying, "What are you doing, mon Ami?"

"You think you two were gonna get an evenin' alone without a chaperone?" Logan teased flatly. "Lets get moving, we got a small window of opportunity here." He twirled the keys to the X-Van round his finger, and turned to lead the way to the garage.

"Alright," Blaze agreed, "But I call shotgun. You can ride in the back Remy."

"Merci beaucoup," Remy thanked her sarcastically. "You so kind, non?"

"Non," Blaze chirruped happily. "And don't go pretending that you'd want me to change."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Back in Warren's bedroom as the evening descended into true night, the X-Men started to set up for the mission. The equipment Gambit and Blaze had thought they might need had been supplemented heavily at the Professor and Hank's request. It had taken the three X-Men over an hour just to load the van at the Institute, and another hour to unload it at their destination. Taking on the mantle of responsibility, Logan was being uncharacteristically thorough in their preparations. It's probably because he's not actually going on the mission himself, thought Blaze, it's making him downright nervous.

"Have you checked the image inducers are both working?" Logan asked Blaze as the three of them moved around the room, unfastening metal cases and setting up tripods.

"Yes Sir," Blaze confirmed with a sigh.

"Hey Gambit, mind whatcha doing with that kit. You don't want Beast on your back if you break it, do you?"

"No Sir," Gambit admitted, rolling his eyes at Blaze across the room.

"Blaze how much more cable have we got lying around here?"

"Three bags full," Blaze sniggered, tossing a reel of wire across the bed to Wolverine.

"Very funny," Logan grouched. "Nursery rhymes, very mature. We've gotta mission to organise and you start behaving like kids. You wanna end up dead, I guess its no skin off my nose."

"We don't want to end up dead Logan," Blaze informed him patiently. "Please just chill out. This would go a whole lot more smoothly if you would tell us what we are trying to do."

Logan half-sighed, half growled, "Hank wants us to take readings of the portal, and what's on the other side. All this kit is to register measurement in space, temperature, electromagnetism and stuff. You want the full physics lesson go see Beast. Long an' short of it is, we're gonna try and work out where you end up. That way we gotta idea what to do if you need rescuing."

"I'm touched Wolverine," drawled Gambit ironically. "Don't you forget t'ough, Blaze an' I professionals. Dis'll be a piece o' pie."

"Umm, pie…" Blaze drooled. "I'm starved, who wants to get take–out while we wait?"

"You two go ahead," Logan dismissed them. "This'll go a whole lot smoother if I just do it myself."

"Now you gettin' the idea," chipped in Remy, patting Logan on the back as the Cajun followed Blaze out of the door. Logan shook his head and said nothing.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, nada, zip. Blaze owns me

**Scene 08**

Like clockwork at four am, the portal opened once more right where it had done the night before. It started small, before swelling and dilating until it was big enough for those on the other side to step through. Vertigo led the way, followed by Ruckus into the warm dark of Angel's room. Everything was still, the curtains were drawn and the figure in the bed had the covers pulled up over him. Vertigo glanced as Ruckus before stepping across the carpet and stretching out a hand to peel back the blankets.

Wolverine jerked upright, punching Vertigo across the jaw with a force that sent her flying. Her skull hit the wall and she slumped to the floor, motionless. Before Ruckus could react, Gambit blindsided him and got him in a headlock. The Cajun got the other man in a grip that cut off his air supply. Ruckus gargled, struggled and eventually slumped backwards to lean on Remy. Gambit slid the unconscious man to the floor and dragged him to sit besides Vertigo. Blaze moved in then, using a roll of brown sticky parcel tape to secure first Vertigo's hands and mouth, then Ruckus.

"Bring the kit round," Logan instructed Remy. Obligingly Gambit dragged the gizmos and gadgets round to face the portal by the foot of the bed. Logan moved in to start flicking switches. Three or four different streams of light like coloured laser beams hit the fluidic green of the portal. Hank's machine started to gargle as it registered data. Logan left it running, turning back to his teammates as Gambit and Blaze both pinned button-like location transmitters to the front of their uniforms. Next the pair strapped on their image inducers around their left wrists, and Gambit concealed a satellite phone in his inside coat pocket. Finally they flicked on the image inducers, and their new personas shimmered into life around them.

"Formidable!" exclaimed Remy, holding his 'new' hands out in front of him and straightening the cuffs on his 'new' coat.

"Do you think she's skinnier than me?" Blaze wanted to know, twisting at the hips to try and see all of what the inducer had done to make her look like Vertigo.

"Non Cherie," Gambit replied, ever suave. "It look to me like dat inducer made you put on a few pounds."

"You really think so?" Blaze was flattered, turning Vertigo's big lavender eyes on Remy-as-Ruckus endearingly.

"Keep your minds on the job," Logan warned them. "You'll need these," he said as he held out three vials to the pair of thieves. Gambit took two and Blaze took one. Holding it up to the light coming from the portal she asked, "What are they?"

"Hair, blood and soft tissue samples donated by Angel. The Prof reckons it's most likely that these are what those two were sent to collect."

"Gross," Blaze turned her nose up at the blood sample she held. "You can mind this Rem," she told the Cajun, tossing the vial to Gambit. "Don't forget the PDA in Ruckus' pocket either."

"Yeah, yeah," Gambit shook his head, going to the captives and fishing the PDA out of Ruckus' coat. "What you gonna do wit' t'ese guys Logan?"

"The Prof is in Cerebro ready to ask 'em a few questions," Logan informed them. "If that don't work, I guess there's always these…" He let his claws slide through his knuckles briefly, before drawing them back.

"Play nice," Blaze chastised him playfully.

"Or what?" demanded Wolverine menacingly. "You'd better get goin', and remember the inducer will do nothing about your voices, so try and keep chatter down to a minimum."

"After you, mon belle Cherie," Gambit-as-Ruckus bowed a little, indicating that Blaze-as-Vertigo should enter the portal.

"See you later Logan," Blaze told her friend, approaching the throbbing green pool of light. Under her breath she added an apprehensive, "I hope." Then she stepped through the gateway, and was gone.

The pulsating green filled her vision, making Blaze nauseous. A sucking noise like the dragging of seawater over coastal rocks fumbled at her ears, making them pop. Her chest was close to bursting with the need to breathe, but there was no air in this pseudo place. Cold scraped its nails over her skin, intent on causing her pain. Blaze strove not to cry out, but it took all of her will. She fumbled with her hands and feet to find some solid purchase. There was nothing, and worst of all there was no sign or sense of Gambit. She fell through this void of radioactive emerald nothingness totally alone.

With a gasp she was stumbling forward, blinking tears from her eyes as the light became acutely white. The floor caught her by surprise and she nearly fell. Somehow regaining her balance, Blaze remembered to breathe. The rush of air into her lungs was heady, like stepping outside into the cold night after an evening drinking whisky in a warm muggy bar with a Cajun.

"I would have thought you'd be used to that by now Vertigo," a young female voice asked. Blaze's head snapped round to see a teenage girl with pinkish-hair and lavender skin sat on a high wooden stool, off to the left hand side of the portal. Blaze grinned what she hoped was a sheepish grin, and shrugged. At that moment Gambit-as-Ruckus staggered through the portal behind her, nearly bowling Blaze out of the way before recovering much as she had.

"Well, well Mate," a familiar Aussie accent reached their ears, making Gambit scowl. From nowhere Pyro and Sabretooth appeared, looking as pleased as the cats that got the cream. Pyro was speaking sideways to Sabretooth, but both Acolytes were staring straight at Gambit and Blaze. "Looks like these losers might 'ave finally got some samples from ol' chicken-boy. Its only taken them, what, a week?"

"Amateurs," growled Sabretooth, showing his teeth. He looked like he was about to heckle them some more, but was interrupted as a new and even more menacing masculine voice joined the conversation…


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, nada, zip. Blaze owns me

**Scene 09**

"Pyro, Sabretooth," the voice grated, tantalisingly calm and succinctly evil. "Have you nothing better to do than harass my staff?" The man who spoke stepped out of the darkness, his white face made all the more pallid for his flat red lips and dark circles around his strange, beady eyes. His hair was black-blue and slicked back from his forehead. His nose and jaw line were sharp and angular, like the dark blue suit and short cape he wore in a throwback to Victoriana. Pyro and Sabretooth had no more come back, so they dropped their eyes and scuttled back into the shadows like humbled cockroaches. "Blink," the stranger turned to the teen on the stool. "Shut down that portal, its pulsating nauseates me."

"No probs Mr Sinister," Blink obliged a little too keenly, and the portal was suddenly gone. The adolescent leapt down off her stool and scampered away after Pyro and Sabretooth. To Blaze and Gambit's confusion, Blink called out as she ran, "Hey Mr Creed, wait up!"

"You did manage to get the samples this time, didn't you?" Mr Sinister demanded of Blaze and Gambit. In response, Gambit held up the selection of vials that Logan had given them. Sinister's eyes narrowed as he examined the specimens, but he did not reach out to take them or ask any more questions of his 'staff'. "Very good, take them to Splice in the laboratory to be catalogued. Then go to Shrew and get your target for tomorrow night." With that, Sinister also turned and departed.

It was the first opportunity the X-Men had to get their bearings. Looking about them, Blaze and Gambit quickly realised that there were no windows in this place. The room they were in was built solidly out of dingy brown metal, riveted with massive bolts to a great framework of girders. Being inside this room was like being inside a great metal animal, with the girders like ribs and a smell to match. Light bulbs dangled like drops of saliva from the ceiling, illuminating the room meekly as if the light was afraid of what sulked in the corners. There were doors with small glass panels at eye level, reinforced with chicken wire, and labelled for what lay beyond.

"So far so good," Blaze acknowledged humourlessly. "You okay?"

"Oui bien," returned Gambit. "Some trip huh?"

"Oh yes," Blaze agreed meeting Gambit's eyes and breaking into a small smile. "You could charge for a trip like that in some circles."

"I'll bare dat in mind," Gambit smiled too, but only for a moment. A frown crossed his brow as he asked. "Pyro, Sabretooth an' Shrew, they all Magneto's lackeys. You t'ink he involved in dis?"

"Does Rogue have hair like a skunk?" Blaze replied rhetorically. "'Course he's involved, he's got his sticky fingers in everything. I'd bet that Mr Sinister is running the show though, and it looks like our alter egos work for him."

"What 'bout the kid, Blink?" Gambit thought out loud.

"No idea," shrugged Blaze. "We'd better do as we were told and get Angel's samples to the lab, then I think we should go and have a little chat with our friend Shrew."

"D'accord," agreed Gambit. "You t'ink we can find someone to ask for directions?"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Discovering the location of the lab took a while. This place was a maze with no maps and no signposts. Within minutes of leaving the room where the portal had been Gambit had lost all sense of direction. He could have been walking in ever decreasing circles and he would not have known. The only reassurance he had was Blaze's insistence that they were not repeating themselves. Concentration was written in the set of her jaw and the lines on her brow, stubbornness in her unsmiling mouth and in her eyes. She reminded him that she had a photographic memory, and that if they had doubled back, she would know.

"I guess it true then," Gambit grinned as he genteelly opened a door for Blaze to walk through. "I be lost wit'out you."

"We're still lost," Blaze pointed out. "I'm just hopeful we're lost in the direction of this lab. None of these rooms are telling us anything about what is going on."

"You mean a lab like dat one?" queried Remy, pointing across the next chamber to a door clearly labelled 'laboratory'. "That'll do me," Blaze decided, going forward and opening the door.

The laboratory consisted of white-topped workbench after white-topped workbench, and beyond them against the far wall was a massive row of glass fronted cold storage units. Every bench was covered in scientific equipment including centrifuges, pipettes, glass flasks and beakers, fume cupboards, soxlets and Bunsen burners. The blue flames on the burners flickered welcomingly as Blaze entered, keen to show the fire elemental what they could do. Blaze had to concentrate on not setting fire to anything, for a change.

By each workbench was a mid-height bench like a pew from a church. Stood on the lower benches so that they could reach the tabletops were maybe a hundred tiny people, all dressed in lab coats and ergonomic safety specs. They ran up and down the benches like monkeys leaping through treetops, with speed, grace and insane giddiness. That wasn't the strangest thing about these mutants. The most bizarre thing was that they were all identical, absolute carbon copies of all the other mini-scientists. Each one was a tiny blonde woman with an oversized head compared to her body, and massive emerald green eyes.

"Clones," Blaze mumbled as one of the women came over to them. Gambit handed over the samples without being asked. The woman sniffed at the vials, holding them up the light. She sniffed again, flaring her nostrils and disappeared in a sea of identical mutants. "This mush be Splice," Blaze pointed out, "She is capable of cloning herself."

"You t'ink they gonna clone Angel too?" Gambit whispered with a shudder.

"Maybe," Blaze replied. "I guess those cabinets are where they are storing the samples from everyone else they have visited too."

"Let's find out, eh Cherie?" Gambit suggested. His eyes fixed on his target; Gambit-as-Ruckus strode across the room to the storage units. He wound between the benches until he reached the cabinets. Then he stretched out a hand to open the refrigerator unit's door.

With a venomous hiss, one of the Splices dived across the room and slammed the door shut again. A rapid and vile transformation streamed over her. She aged grossly in a matter of seconds, her skin shrivelled and hair thinned to a mat of grey wisps. Her nails grew to the length of talons as she somehow released a foul stench that hit Remy in the back of the throat, making him gag. Looking up, the Cajun saw that all the Splices in the room had transfigured themselves, and all were staring right at him with hatred in those surreal green eyes.

"On second t'oughts, maybe not," Remy changed his mind. The idea of being pulled apart by these clones, of them swarming over him like ants, did not appeal. Hastily he made his way back across the room to Blaze, and the two of them moved to the door. "Let's go find Shrew instead, shall we?" Immediately as the door shut behind them, all the Splices changed back into their other form, and went back to work.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, nada, zip. Blaze owns me

**Scene 10**

Finding Shrew didn't take half the time discovering the laboratory had done. The X-Men in disguise followed their noses to a rat's nest of a room, down a shady, woe-begotten corridor that smelt of sweaty socks. Shrew's name was stuck to a door in uncertain letters, and though the door was locked it only took a kick from Blaze to open it. Inside the room was little more than a dingy cupboard, barely tall enough for Gambit to stand upright. Shrew himself, a little, rodent-like, pot-bellied man who could literally smell mutations on others, was curled up in bed under a shrivelled green blanket. Magneto's lackey and informant, Shrew had met both Gambit and Blaze before.

"Eek," squeaked Shrew. The image inducers didn't fool the little shrimp for a second, as he lurched upright and dived out of bed. Correspondingly Blaze and Gambit switched off the devices. "G-g-gambit! I thought Magneto said you didn't work for him no more?"

"I don't," agreed Remy proudly, folding his arms.

"And you, you," Shrew pointed wildly at Blaze, sniffing deeply. Blaze concentrated, fire flashing in the depths of her deep brown eyes. "Fire witch, you stink of it! You're one of the X-Men, you were with the she-wolf when you stole the kid Stifle from me."

"Blaze," she introduced herself, striving not to laugh at the minion. Comic figure he may be, scared of his own shadow, but he would sell them out without hesitation if they gave him the chance or inclination. "Nice to see you again Shrew."

"What are you doing here?" Shrew backed up against the wall, but the X-Men cut him off from the only exit.

"Funny," responded Gambit. "We were gonna ask you the same thing. What's Magneto up to this time?"

"I don't have to tell you anything," argued Shrew.

"That's where you're wrong," replied Blaze, taking a step across the floor towards the rodent. Fire ran over her hands and up her sleeves as she reached out and placed her palms on the wall to either side of Shrew's balding skull. The rodent gulped, nostrils flaring as the smell of fire and ash became almost too much for his sensitive sinuses. "You're going to tell us everything, starting with why Magneto is collecting tissue samples from sleeping mutants."

"Nuh-uh," Shrew shook his head. "Sinister's the brains behind it. Magneto's just helping out with manpower and a couple of gems of Ciccorak…"

"Wow, back up," Gambit ordered. "Gems of what?"

"He used them on Asteroid M to try and advance Scott and Alex," Blaze remembered, having read the mission report on the Institute's computer. "Now he's letting this Sinister use them? For what?" she demanded of Shrew.

"Well Sinister reckons he can use them to fuse mutant DNA to other mutants, or even humans, giving them extra powers," explained Shrew, who was by now sweating. "That's all I know, I swear."

"Oh no Shrew, you know much more than that," Blaze insisted, transfiguring into her other form, the one where she was crafted of burning flame. That made Shrew yelp, but not half as much as Gambit's well-timed cry of, "Blaze no! We need him alive!" Blaze knew that Gambit was more entertained than worried, as she had no intention of killing Shrew. Still, at Gambit's word she backed off and changed back into her human form. Shrew crumpled like a house of cards to the floor, until Gambit switched places with Blaze and lifted Shrew up by his sweaty shirtfront.

"So they engineerin' mutants to order," Remy insisted. "How? Who else is involved?"

"Simple…" stuttered Shrew. "Me and Magneto's other recruits, like the Brotherhood, sniff out powerful mutants and give their locations to Blink. She opens the portals to wherever we tell her. Then either Magneto's team of Pyro 'n' Sabretooth or Sinister's team of Vertigo 'n' Ruckus go through at night and inject a formula of Sinister's into the sleeping mutant. He says the DNA has to be configured before removing it, because mutant DNA is so unstable. Sometimes it takes a few days for the DNA to be ready. When it is, the teams go back and take hair, blood and soft tissue samples. They're given to Splice for cataloguin' and grinding down into the bit relatin' to the powers. Sinister takes over then for the fun bit, transplanting the genes into new hosts and sealing the job with the help of the gems. They're radioactive or something I think. But I swear that really is everything!"

"Not quite," Gambit took a cue from Blaze and started charging Shrew's shirt like once he'd charged up Toad with his powers. Blaze chortled with laughter as Shrew squirmed pointlessly and Gambit's power surged about the pair of them. "You tell 'em what mutants to go after. Who's DNA have you harvested? Have you sent them to the Xavier Institute?"

"No! No! Sinister says if you come across a sleeping lion you don't poke it in the eye. Besides, we've really only just started so…"

"Who have you had them visit Shrew?" Gambit insisted, hoisting the weed even higher so his feet dangled above the floor.

"Just nobodies really, honest! The Morlocks Callisto and Spyke, Omega Red, X-23, Colossus, some creature called Behemoth," Gambit went pale; it had been Behemoth who had near enough gutted him not long ago. Shrew didn't notice, "The kid Stifle, Angel, Cyclops and Jean Grey…" Shrew gulped, "Sinister was particularly pleased with those two. They're at college, out of Xavier's protection. Sinister is really keyed up about them. He's not let Splice touch their samples, he's done all the prep work himself."

"Guardians," Blaze hypothesised. "Scott and Jean are both Guardians of Destiny, like me. Their mutation is amplified."

"I t'ought that was mystical energy?" asked Gambit.

"I hope it is, I don't want Sinister getting his hands on anything to do with it. Although," here Blaze became blatantly scheming, "It might work to our advantage. If Sinister is that keen to get his grubby mitts on the DNA of a Guardian, we can get back to Warren's tonight."

"What did you have in mind?" Gambit pried.

"Me, obviously. I've been at Warren's two nights running. Surely Shrew can arrange cover evidence enough for us to go back there to collect samples from me, can't you?" Both X-Men looked acutely at the minion. Shrew bit his lip, shivering. "Don't hold out on me Shrew. The sooner we are gone back through the portal, the better it will be for you."

"Alright," Shrew realised he had no choice. "I'll do it, but you two had better go lie low until you're called for. Vertigo and Ruckus' rooms are down the hall to the left."

"Thanks Shrew," Blaze chirruped encouragingly. "But what we really need to know is where are the gems kept?"

"The…the vault," stuttered Shrew. "Take a left at the room before the lab and then a right at the T-junction. Its pointless though, only Magneto and Sinister have access to the vault!"

"Let us worry 'bout dat," smiled Gambit. Both X-Men pressed the 'on' buttons on their inducers and simultaneously disappeared, replaced by Sinister's lackeys, "Merci beaucoup Shrew, its bin nice chattin' to you again."

"Just don't get caught!" Shrew blurted out, just as the X-Men left the room.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, nada, zip. Blaze owns me

**Scene 11**

"Et voila," Gambit announced. "One volt."

"Will you do the honours?" Blaze giggled, batting her eyelashes at her tall friend.

"Lets see," mused the Cajun, taking a long time to examine the keypad locking mechanism by the side of the vault's reinforced metal door. "Dis should do it." Gambit brought his fist down ion top of the box, hard. There was a hiss, the door shuddered, and then it started to open. Like a blast door from Star Wars, the door opened from the centre outwards, sliding into the walls. Gambit looked at Blaze and grinned.

"Smooth," Blaze admitted grudgingly. "Too smooth."

"Ain't no such t'ing as too smooth," argued the Cajun. The X-Men stepped through the vault doorway and Gambit closed the door from the other side. They walked down a long aisle, suspended over a pool of crystal clear and absolutely still water, to a pedestal in the centre of the room. It was so cold n the brightly lit room that their breath frosted the air in front of them. On the pedestal sat two gems of Ciccorak, like massive glowing ruby shards.

"Do you think that they are radioactive?" asked Blaze.

"Don't know," shrugged Remy. "But if Shrew is even half right, takin' these gonna slow their whole operation right down."

"Sounds like a plan to me," replied Blaze, stretching out a hand towards the rocks.

"Wait!" demanded Gambit, "What's that noise?"

"What noise?" asked Blaze, as she felt the hairs on the back of her neck start to tingle. Something was wrong here. Gambit didn't answer, mostly because at that moment there was a peal of Aussie laughter right outside the door. "Pyro and Sabretooth," hissed Blaze, looking back over her shoulder at the closed door.

"Shush," Gambit urged her. "They might not come in here." Then again they just might, the Cajun thought, but he didn't say anything aloud. Outside in the corridor, Pyro and Sabretooth had just been walking past, until something caught Sabretooth's attention, a twinkling in the corner of his eye. He pulled his lips back over his teeth in a snarl, turning to look at the lock on the vault door.

The little lock-box, abused by Remy, was now spitting sparks and hissing. Sabretooth listened intently, suspicious of what might be n the other side of the door. Pyro had halted in his tracks as soon as he noticed Sabretooth had ground to a stop. The second Acolyte raised an eyebrow in a quizzical expression. Sabretooth reached out a hand, and ripped the locking mechanism out of the wall. With a hiss, the door opened.

The first thing that Pyro did when he saw the two figures stood by the pedestal was laugh manically. He hooted, cackled and had to put his hands on his knees to brace himself to breathe he was laughing so hard. Sabretooth just growled, having a void where his sense of humour should have been. Visibly affronted, 'Vertigo' stormed down the aisle and pushed her way through the pair of them, mumbling something about no privacy anywhere.

'Ruckus' scowled aggressively at the retreating girl's back, and then at Sabretooth and Pyro. Gambit-as-Ruckus then followed Blaze from the vault, pushing past the Acolytes briskly. Pyro and Sabretooth were both spun round on the spot by the force the Cajun put into his shove. Sabretooth gave Remy a push in the back in retaliation, as the vault door hissed closed again behind them all.

That night, Shrew collected the pair of undercover X-Men from Vertigo and Ruckus' private rooms, and brought them back to the main chamber of Sinister's base where they had arrived. Blink was once again perched on a stool to the side of a glowing portal, whilst Sinister stood at the back of the room with one of the Splices. At a nudge from Shrew, the X-Men collected DNA treatment equipment from the cloner, and then turned to face the portal. They stepped through it together, and an elongated head-rush later they were back at Warren's house.

In no time at all, the real Vertigo and Ruckus had their minds' wiped by the Professor, and were bundled back through the portal. The Professor had furnished them with some vague alibi that Blaze had no been where she should have been. Half an hour later, Wolverine brought Blaze and Gambit and all Beast's equipment back to the Institute. Something's happened, Logan thought, something big. There was no banter or flirting between the two thieves, indeed they barely spoke at all. Whatever had changed in the space of a day, Logan couldn't put his finger on it. He hoped that the debriefing would clear up whatever was wrong, mostly because he didn't like to have competition in being the Institute's grouchiest inhabitant.

By the time they returned to the mansion, the Professor had gotten Storm, Beast and Angel out of bed. Rogue and Tabby had been awake anyway and refused to be left out. Wolverine, Gambit and Blaze were the last ones to arrive. Blaze persevered with a stony silence, letting Gambit explain everything that had happened during the mission. The tension between them was thrumming and uncomfortable. Gambit explained about their arrival through the portal and their subsequent explorations. He elaborated about Shrew and Splice and all they had learned about the alliance between Magneto and Sinister. When he got to the part about being discovered in the vault, he hesitated. Blaze didn't need an invitation.

"You messed up Gambit, face it. If you'd handled the vault's lock with just a little more finesse, we never would have been discovered. We wouldn't have had to lay low for the rest of the day in case we aroused suspicion," the pyrokenetic criticised hotly.

"Like you could have done any better, Cherie," Gambit spat back, red-on-black eyes flashing dangerously.

"Of course I could," Blaze half-laughed, but it was a heartless sound. "I earned my stripes as a thief, by myself. I didn't just follow Daddy into the family business like some people."

Outraged, Remy reached inside his trench coat. The gathered X-Men recoiled instinctively, thinking he was about to attack Blaze. Instead he pulled out a glowing ruby shard; one of the gems of Ciccorak. "If I such an amateur," Gambit retorted, slamming the gem down on the table top in front of the Professor. "How come I swiped this wit'out no one noticing?"

"Anything you can do," Blaze returned, pulling a shard out of the back pocket of her skinny jeans and twirling it in her fingers. She placed it next to the other gem in defiance. "I can do better," she finished, glaring at Gambit across the room.

"Ah-hem," the Professor cleared his throat to diffuse the situation. "Beast, how did your experiments and transponders react to the portal?"

"The tracking devices shorted out as soon as they went through the portal," Beast admitted. "The readings from the equipment probing the portal from this side may prove more conclusive, but I will need time to study them. One thing I am sure of though, you were not transported anywhere inside the United States."

"Very well," the Professor decided. "Blaze, Gambit, all in all I think that this has been an excellent days work for you both. Angel, it seems that now Sinister has what he was trying to take from you, it is safe for you to return home. Indeed with the gems of Ciccorak in our possession, we may have even halted their project altogether."


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, nada, zip. Blaze owns me

**Scene 12**

"I wouldn't be so sure Charles," Logan put in. "Who knows how many of those things Magneto can get his grubby hands on."

"There is nothing else we can do for the time being, surely?" Storm contributed. "Other than try to locate the location of Sinister's base, and keep a weather eye open for any more strange nighttime visitations."

"Indeed," the Professor agreed. "Then pending further information, this meeting is adjourned. Rogue, Tabitha, you need to be thinking about getting ready for school."

"Aww," griped Tabby. "We've been up all stinking night waiting for news on these two. Surely we deserve to be able to play hooky for one day?"

"Absolutely not," Storm enforced. "No one asked you to stay up all night waiting for Blaze and Gambit."

"Ah well, easy come easy go," shrugged Tabby, grabbing Blaze's arm and hauling the redhead to the door. "C'mon Firefly, lets go get some breakfast." The two girls linked arms and flounced off, but not without Blaze sharing one last venomous glare with Gambit. The rest of the X-Men filed out after the two girls, with Remy and Rogue bringing up the rear.

"Pardon Chere," Remy asked with a flattering smile. "Did I hear that right? You gone an' stayed up all night worryin' 'bout me?"

"Don't flatter yourself," Rogue denied the allegation. "Ah just couldn't sleep, that's all." She didn't give Remy a chance to make any kind of reply, instead striding off stubbornly before he could get his thoughts together. Still, Remy found himself grinning distractedly to himself. New day, new possibilities…

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Wolverine didn't actually even come close to an explanation about what had really happened at Sinister's base until much later. After the debriefing, the Institute erupted into its usual morning chaos. Multiple had three of him doing his homework on the kitchen floor, whilst another ate breakfast. Kitty burnt her toast and her fingers when she jammed the toaster and had to reach in to pull the slices out with her powers. Of course, that fused the toaster's electrics, the third that month. Berserker had lost his sneakers ahead of his phys ed class, only for them to turn up eventually underneath Wolfsbane's bed, looking suspiciously like they had been chewed. So by the time Logan had broken up that fight and packed everyone off to school, Gambit and Blaze had disappeared from sight.

With no sign of the two miscreants inside the mansion, Logan headed outside. The day had brightened to become a pleasant, sun-kissed morning. Birds sang their little feathered hearts out in the mature trees in the grounds, concealed by rustling rich green leaves. Logan snuffed heavily; using his extenuated senses to sift through the smell of damp grass crushed underfoot, brine from the sea, and all manner of growing things. The faintest note underlay the fresh scents, a subtle musky perfume like charcoal and as on the morning after a bonfire. Blaze was not far away, and as he listened Logan thought he heard her sigh.

Taking a left, Logan ducked under a low tree branch and stomped quietly through a thicket. Blaze was sat by the cliff top in front of him, perched on a fallen log with her hands in her lap. She gazed forlornly out to sea, her hair lifted gracefully by the offshore breeze. Her posture stiffened as she heard Logan approach, but she did not turn to dismiss her friend. Logan stepped over the log and sat down besides the girl. He didn't look at her, but he could smell the salt on her skin. Maybe it was from the sea breeze, or maybe it was from a hastily evaporated tear. Logan didn't like to guess.

"Okay," Logan growled in a no-nonsense voice. "What really happened in Sinister's vault?"

Blaze sighed deeply, tucking her misbehaving hair back behind her left ear. If Logan expected her to deny everything or clam up like maybe he would in a similar mood, he was proved wrong. Blaze was ready to talk, and with the absence of Ilehana, Logan would have to do.

"We only had seconds to come up with an alibi to protect our cover from Pyro and Sabretooth," she explained. "It didn't have to be clever, just distracting. So Gambit and I kissed, just as they came through the door. It worked, we weren't discovered and we got out of there in one piece, so I should be happy, but I'm not. It had been hanging over us for so long, that kiss. It had become something so important. I really thought that Remy might be something special, maybe even the one, but there was nothing. There was no spark, no magic, the earth didn't move, and I had really thought that it might. So that's it, it's over."

"Just like that?" Logan frowned. "Not like you to give up without a fight. Maybe you should give Gumbo a second chance? We can't all perform under pressure."

"I've had all yesterday to think about it Logan," Blaze shook her head. "I got more of a buzz eating breakfast this morning that I did kissing Gambit, and I would guess he'd say the same about me. When Rogue accidentally touched me and then kissed Remy, she did a damn good job of stealing that kiss from me. I don't think I'll ever get it back."

"So whatcha gonna do?" Wolverine asked.

"I dunno," Blaze shrugged pathetically. At that moment Angel launched himself into the air. He swooped over the treetops above Logan and Blaze's heads and flew over the cliff, down the coastline. Wolverine and Blaze watched him go. "Plenty more fish in the sea," murmured Blaze.

"Sorry Kiddo," Logan told her, putting an adimantium enriched arm around her skinny shoulders. "You're not my type." Blaze chuckled daintily, and rested her head on Logan's shoulder.

Roll credits………………………………..


End file.
